Garlic Butter Naan

Name: Garlic Butter Naan
Prep time: 80 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup water (warm); 2 teaspoons granulated sugar; 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (rapid rise, or instant); 3/4 cup milk (warm); 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (or natural plain yogurt); 1/4 cup vegetable oil plus (2 tablespoons extra for cooking); 2 cloves garlic m (minced); 4 cups plain flour (plus extra for dusting -- 19 1/2 oz. or 560g); 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 tablespoons butter (melted); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 teaspoon cilantro (fresh chopped, or parsley )

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If you've ever wanted soft, pillowy naan with golden bubbles and real garlic flavor, this Garlic Butter Naan recipe is for you. It's cooked in a hot pan (no oven needed), brushed with melted garlic butter, and comes together using simple ingredients you probably already have. Once you try this at home, it's hard to go back to store-bought naan.

Delicious homemade naan bread topped with melted cheese, garlic, and fresh herbs, perfect for sharing.

Garlic butter naan is popular year-round, but it shows up most often during cooler months, holidays, and weekends when comfort food is on the menu. Because it's pan-cooked, this version is easy to make at home without special equipment.

This recipe was inspired by another bread-style favorite on this site, my Blueberry Goat Cheese Flatbread, a simple flatbread topped with sweet blueberries and creamy goat cheese that you can make using naan or a similar base.

Close-up of cheesy naan flatbread topped with fresh herbs, golden-brown spots, in a light blue dish.

Ingredients

Warm water activates the yeast and helps the dough rise properly.
Sugar feeds the yeast and helps start fermentation.
Yeast gives the naan its soft, airy texture.
Warm milk adds richness and softness to the dough.
Plain yogurt keeps the naan tender and slightly chewy.
Vegetable oil adds moisture and helps prevent dryness.
Garlic mixed into the dough and butter for real garlic flavor.
All-purpose flour forms the structure of the naan.
Baking powder adds extra lift during cooking.
Salt balances the flavor.
Butter brushed on after cooking for a rich finish.
Fresh cilantro or parsley optional, but adds freshness.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Garlic Butter Naan

Fresh garlic bulbs and peeled cloves on a wooden board and a woven tray, with a bowl of grated garlic on a marble surface.

In a bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast.

Fresh garlic, salt, and shredded cheese nearby for cheese ball recipe.

Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, until it becomes foamy.

Fresh garlic cloves, flour and baking soda on board.

Add the milk, yogurt, oil, minced garlic, flour, baking powder, and salt to the yeast mixture.

Soft dough ball ready for baking or pizza making.

Mix with your hands until a dough forms.

Homemade dough prepared for baking in the kitchen.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead with floured hands for 3-5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

Homemade whipped cream in a clear glass bowl with a hand mixer for baking or desserts.

Lightly grease the mixing bowl with oil.

Soft, freshly made bread dough covered with plastic wrap, ready to rise.

Place the dough back in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.

Soft, risen pizza dough in a clear glass bowl, ready for baking.

Let it rest at room temperature for about 1 hour, until it doubles in size.

Alt: Preparing dough triangles on a marble surface with garlic and flour nearby.

Once the dough has risen, divide it into 10 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball.

A person uses a wooden rolling pin to evenly flatten dough on a marble countertop.

Roll each ball into a 6-inch oval, about ⅛ inch thick, using a rolling pin.

Non-stick frying pan with heat-resistant handle and oil residue.

Heat a pan over high heat and lightly grease it with oil to prevent sticking.

Homemade pizza dough cooks in a frying pan on a stovetop for quick delicious pizza.

Place one flattened dough in the hot pan. Cook until it puffs up, forms bubbles, and develops browned spots.

Cheese pizza slice baking with melted cheese and crispy golden crust, ready to serve.

Flip and cook the other side. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Fresh eggs being cracked into a white bowl, ready for cooking.

A baking spoon brushes melted cheese onto freshly baked cheese bread in a baking dish.

Brush the cooked naan with melted garlic butter and sprinkle with cilantro or parsley, if desired.

Delicious homemade cheese naan bread garnished with fresh herbs on a stylish blue plate.

instructions...

Hint: For the best bubbles and browning, make sure your pan is fully hot before adding the dough. A hot pan helps the naan puff quickly and cook evenly without drying out.

Substitutions & Variations

Dairy-free: Use plant-based yogurt and milk, and brush with dairy-free butter.
Extra garlic: Add more garlic to the butter for stronger flavor.
Cheesy naan: Sprinkle grated cheese on top right after cooking.
Kid-friendly: Skip the garlic and brush with plain butter instead.

💭Crucial Success Tips

Do not overcook the naan. Once bubbles form and brown spots appear, it's ready to flip. Overcooking will make it dry instead of soft.

FAQ

Can I bake this instead of pan-cooking?

Pan-cooking gives the best texture, but baking works if you don't have a stovetop option.

Why didn't my naan puff up?

The pan may not have been hot enough, or the yeast may not have activated properly.

Printable Recipe

📖 Recipe

Delicious homemade garlic naan with melted cheese garnished with fresh herbs, perfect for any meal.

Tina

Garlic Butter Naan

This Garlic Butter Naan is soft, fluffy, and cooked in a hot pan for that classic naan texture without using an oven. The dough is made with yogurt and milk, which keeps the naan tender and slightly chewy inside, while the high-heat pan cooking creates light bubbles and golden spots on the surface. Each piece is finished with melted garlic butter for rich flavor and a glossy finish. This recipe uses simple pantry ingredients and delivers naan that tastes just like your favorite restaurant version, but made easily at home.

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Prep Time 1 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 1 30

Servings: 10 servings

Course: Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

¼ cup water warm
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast rapid rise, or instant
¾ cup milk warm
¾ cup plain Greek yogurt or natural plain yogurt
¼ cup vegetable oil plus 2 tablespoons extra for cooking
2 cloves garlic m minced
4 cups plain flour plus extra for dusting -- 19 ½ oz. or 560g
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Garlic butter ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter melted
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon cilantro fresh chopped, or parsley

Method

In a bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast.
Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, until it becomes foamy.
Add the milk, yogurt, oil, minced garlic, flour, baking powder, and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix with your hands until a dough forms.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead with floured hands for 3-5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
Lightly grease the mixing bowl with oil.
Place the dough back in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.
Let it rest at room temperature for about 1 hour, until it doubles in size.
Once the dough has risen, divide it into 10 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball.
Roll each ball into a 6-inch oval, about ⅛ inch thick, using a rolling pin.
Heat a pan over high heat and lightly grease it with oil to prevent sticking.
Place one flattened dough in the hot pan. Cook until it puffs up, forms bubbles, and develops browned spots.
Flip and cook the other side. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Brush the cooked naan with melted garlic butter and sprinkle with cilantro or parsley, if desired.
Serve warm and enjoy!

How to Store Garlic Butter Naan

Store cooked naan in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Naan freezes well for up to 2 months. Reheat in a hot pan or oven until warm.